The verb ‘ser’ presents itself this way:
Yo soy – I am
Tú eres – You are
Él /Ella es – He/She is
Nosotros/Nosotras somos – We are
Vosotros/Vosotras sois – You are
Ellos/Ellas son – They are
When do you use the verb ‘ser’? -To indicate nationality or profession.
Él es español. (He is spanish).
Ella es estudiante. (She is a student).
-To express a quality.
El coche es rojo (The car is red).
La chica es muy inteligente. (The girl is very intelligent).
-To indicate price, quantity, and time.
¿Cuánto cuesta? Son 30 euros. (How much does it cost? It’s 30 euros).
¿Qué día es hoy? Hoy es viernes. (What day is it today? Today is Friday).
-To identify people or things.
¿Qué es esto? Es una cuchara. (What’s this? It’s a spoon).
The verb ‘estar’ in the present form is structured this way:
Yo estoy
Tú estás
Él /Ella está
Nosotros/Nosotras estamos
Vosotros/Vosotras estáis
Ellos/Ellas están
When do you use the verb ‘estar’? -To indicate where someone or something is.
El libro está encima de la mesa. (The book is on the table).
Mi hermano está en Londres. (My brother is in London).
-To indicate temporary physical conditions.
María está enferma. (Maria is sick).
El niño está aburrido. (The boy is bored).
-To indicate temporary situations.
La habitación está desordenada. (The room is untidy).
La carne está fría. (The meat is cold).
Some adjectives have different meanings depending one which one you use: ‘ser’ or ‘estar’.
‘Ser rico’ (to have money) – ‘Estar rico’ (to be amusing)
‘Ser listo’ (to be intelligent) – ‘Estar listo’ (to be ready)
‘Ser aburrido’ (to be boring) – ‘Estar aburrido’ (to be bored)
‘Ser bueno’ (to be kind) – ‘Estar bueno’ (to be attractive)
‘Ser malo’ (to be bad) – ‘Estar malo’ (to be unattractive)
NEXT: A1-5 Adjectives
